Adoption Thread

[Bella_mezzo]

I know, I keep hoping to hear good news from IG soon!!!! So exciting!!!!

These last few weeks before traveling are insane, vaccines, visas, packing, finishing projects around the house, plus work, school, physical therapy for a broken foot ! I will be so grateful to be on a plane next Saturday!!!!!

I have pics of B's room, but haven't sent them to the computer yet... I'll try to get it done this weekend.

 

[Loves Vintage]

A broken foot, Bella? When did that happen? Seriously, I don't know how you do it all!! YOU are AMAZING! And, you're going to be an amazing momma!! I can't wait for you!! I can only imagine how you must be feeling!

IG - Can't wait to hear your good news!! So much excitement right now!!

Penn - I'd really like to see your nursery photos too, if you feel like sharing!

 

[lliang_chi]

IG I'm hoping your silence is good news!

Bella, OMG everything is going so fast and so slowly at the same time. I'm so excited for you.

~LC

 

[Bella_mezzo]

hahahaha LV-Yeah I sprained my foot, tore some ligaments, messed up some tendons, and partially broke a bone by...wait for it...falling on my face at a black tie gala for work while walking a VERY IMPORTANT person through the event space before the gala started. The floor was wet and no one told us...he slipped but stayed upright, I slipped and well...spent the night at the ER and the next 6 weeks on crutches. Sigh...NYC on crutches sucked! Now I am in PT 3 days a week b/c I am leaving the country 2 weeks before I was supposed to finish PT.

So, I am reaching the extremely overwhelmed but giddy with excitement stage. I should really buy stock in amazon given the amount of stuff I'm buying for our trip and for B. We're half packed, travel arrangements are all set, we got a subletter for our place, and I leave a week from Saturday and meet B in two weeks!!!!!

Wow, this is crazy. I just keep thinking, I can't believe this is really happening! I am leaving the country, going to Africa, living there for an unspecified amount of time, and God willing, coming back with my son! My heart is so full! I can't imagine how I'll feel when I actually meet him!

IG-I really hope that your abscence is caused by the blissful, sleep-deprivation of a new mom and that Parker's birth and the adoption plan were smooth. We are here for you and are very excited for an update

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Wow, Bella! I'd say you have quite a lot going on!!! I remember well packing for China. It was an amazing time but it will fly by. Treasure every moment once you arrive!

Penn and Bella, I'd love to see your nurseries!!! There is a nursery thread and that would be a good place to post them.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Bella I suspect you will explode with anticipation Enjoy Africa, too, eh? It will be such an adventure!

 

[Bella_mezzo]

ha-ha DD--We are so psyched to be in Africa (and not in the office ). We'll be restricted to just Ethiopia, and mostly Addis, until B's immigration paperwork is complete, but we are going to try to travel for a week before we return to the states to see the southern region where he was born and to go a little north of Addis to see the stone churches in Lailibela.

We got a TON of vaccines today, some of them quite nasty, and feel right now, but one week from tomorrow is my last day in the office until September

 

[Loves Vintage]

Bella! Sorry to hear about your foot! Though the circumstances are somewhat funny in the re-telling, I'm sure it was very painful at the time!! Are you still going to Russia? Will your husband go there with you too? And, forgive me, but I totally missed the "unspecified amount of time" aspect of your travels to Ethiopia!?!?! Is there a general period of time that it is expected to take? Since you have a court date, what other events will need to occur that are still indefinite? Does it depend on what happens at the court?

 

[Bella_mezzo]

yes, I am doing the first part of my business trip to Russia and then flying directly to ET from there.

Our court date is July 1 but are staying in Ethiopia until B's immigration paperwork is done so he can come back with us to the US (the other option is to go for court, legally become his parents, and then leave him there and come back to the US until he is cleared by immigration--that doesn't work for us

So, we're in ET until he gets cleared by immigration which usually takes 6-8 weeks, but sometimes takes much longer. If he's still not cleared by the end of my 12 weeks leave then DH will postpone starting school for a semester and stay there while I come back here (which would be horrible on so many levels!)

 

[Lanie]

Bella, this is all so exciting!!!!! So close! Will he be able to spend the night with you guys in your hotel or leave the orphanage or anything like that? I'm guessing no but hoping yes. How often will you get to see him? Can you post pictures after July 1 or do you have to wait until everything is done? I'm so excited for you and your DH!!!!

 

[Bella_mezzo]

thanks Lanie--We'll take custody as soon as we pass court b/c we will 100% be his legal parents then So hopefully sometime in the first week of July that will happen and he will move in with us

there are 100 possible delays or things that could push that back, but we're just going to think positive right now!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Bella I just keep thinking about what a wild ride you are in for in the coming months Jumping into parenthood with a kiddo who will have opinions and determinantion and will! hee hee You are skipping the house plant phase, the cat phasem the dog phase, and jumping right into the monkey phase!! And in another country! I know you guys will look at it as the adventure it really is. I'm sure it will be a surprising and eye opening time for all three of you, but if you keep your sense of humour I know you will all do great. You have to take a million photos when you are there and share some with us! I would love to visit Africa but doubt it will ever happen.

 

[lliang_chi]

Bella, I'm really happy for you. I love Dreamer's analogy on the "phases" of infants. Awesome!

IG, I *reeeeally* hope you're totally swamped with a newborn and that's why you've been so absent on this thread.

Lots of dust to both you ladies.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Yes, no houseplants here We'll be jumping into the deep end.

IG-I am thinking about you and praying for you and hoping that no news is good news...

 

[janinegirly]

Good luck Bella and hoping you can share some pictures when you return...this is all very exciting!!

PS I admit, I am so curious to know who that VIP you slipped with is..hehe. And you poor thing on crutches in NYC, Dh was in a brace and people pushed him aside. He would ride the elevator (in subways/Penn Station) with a bunch of freaks who all were capable of walking,haha, only in NYC - actually it's similar to my experience being preggo here!

Hi everyone else and love the updates!

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Thanks Janine! I am so happy for you too and can't wait until your little princess arrives

Yeah, I don't know how people who are disabled navigate NYC. I have a whole new respect for them!

Yes, once we pass court I will post as many pics as I can

 

[lliang_chi]

Bella post pics of your nursery though! The color scheme sounds great!!

Penn Quaker, you too!

 

[Bella_mezzo]

I'm working on the nursery pics, the room is small and the walls have odd angles, so it's hard to photograph and my phone keeps dying...I'm going to try to use my husband's phone tomorrow...

We had a super fun picnic/toddler shower today hosted by our friends from church. It was very low key and fun and we were like OMG, we're going to be parents It was great to sit back and think about that for a moment!

Then I went to T@rget and got the rest of the stuff we think we need for our trip and packed. I think we'll need one more piece of luggage b/c I'm pretty sure ours are all overweight (I just ordered a luggage scale to check, hope it gets here in time!) but I think we'll be alright. if we re-pack into one more piece. Right now we each have a carry-on (with each of our clothes) a "personal item" and then DH has 3 18 gallon rubbermaid containers (he gets one extra since in addition to what we need for B, we are taking donations of formula, disposable diapers, cloth diapers, and shoes), and then I have one large rolling suitcase with more donations and B's clothes/books/toys for 8 weeks.

So, it's not the end of the world if we need to re-pack into one more checked bag for me...we are relieved that it looks like it is all going to fit If B is in diapers, I can't wait until we are back and can use cloth b/c disposables are EXPENSIVE!!!

One week from today I will start this journey and one week from Tuesday, DH will start his leg of the journey.

We are so excited!!! scared, nervous, uncertain, stressed, busy, but oh, so excited!!!

 

[lliang_chi]

Bella, oh my stars! Things will be happening before you know it! I'm sending you LOTS of prayers and happy thoughts. I really hope your journey and wait goes smoothly. B is the joy you and your DH have been so patient waiting for. You guys totally deserve it!

~LC

 

[AGBF]

One week from today I will start this journey and one week from Tuesday, DH will start his leg of the journey.

We are so excited!!! scared, nervous, uncertain, stressed, busy, but oh, so excited!!!

Bella-

The travel to a strange part of the world makes it all so much more wonderful, exciting, and...big! Just as diamondseeker remembers getting ready for travel to China, I remember getting ready to travel to Colombia. My husband is Italian and we met in France, so travel to Europe was not unusual for us, but I had never been to South America before. The conditions under which we going to have to live with our baby were going to be totally different from what we were used to. In Europe I had drunk tap water, even if the French and Italians did not do that, without fear. In Europe, unless there was a strike for some political reason, there was electric power. Colombia was going to be totally different!

I am very, very excited for you. You are on the brink of your miracle!!!

PS-My niece got home last night from a year abroad. She spent the school year teaching English in Spain, but then went to Senegal to build houses for Habitat For Humanity for a week before coming home. She had been dying to go to Senegal and had studied the local language, Wolof. Suffice it to say that she absolutely loved Africa and cannot wait to return!

Big hugs,
Deb

 

[Loves Vintage]

Bella - Uhm, dumb question, perhaps, but -- are you going to have internet access? I hate to sound so needy , but I just figured it'd be good to know if we should expect to hear from you!

 

[Bella_mezzo]

hahahahaha LV-It is sort of spotty and we have to pay by the minute, but we should have email access a couple times a week. I will try to post a pic when we pass court (not sure how easy that will be) and will definitely try to post!

SSSQQQUUUEEE...4 more days till the journey begins

 

[Skippy123]

BELLA, I am SOOOOOO EXCITED FOR YOU!!! Cant wait to see pictures!!! You will be the BEST MOMMA! You have so much love in your heart

 

[Puppmom]

Bella, just want to send you some well wishes. You, my friend, are about to embark on a wonderful adventure. Hold on tight and enjoy the ride!

 

[Kunzite]

Bella!!! So excited for you!!! Many congrats to your family. I look forward to hearing all about your adventure!

 

[AGBF]

Has anyone heard any news of ImpatientGirl since she posted here last on June 6? I mean, does anyone e-mail her or talk to her on Facebook or anything? Do we have any news? I sure would like it if you put some kind of system into place before you leave, Bella, so that you can get a message about your progress to at least one member via e-mail if you can't post, but do get e-mail access once or twice!

Bon voyage, Bella!
Deb/AGBF

 

[Bella_mezzo]

thanks AGBF, Kunzite, Skippy, Pupp, LV, and everyone else!

We will try very hard to update our blog while we're gone and I am pretty sure that we can do text updates to PS...our guesthouse has "WiFi" but that doesn't mean quite the same thing as WiFi in the US

Here are a few pics of B's room (I had to white out his Ethiopian name since we didn't pass court yet, but I left his American first name--which is also an Ethiopian name It's hard to see in the pic, but there's a swirly white B behind his name and the little brown spots on the wall are birds

 

[Bella_mezzo]

DH informed me that my pics are crap, which they kind of are He may take more pics tomorrow that don't look so grey and weird.

 

[lliang_chi]

Love the pictures Bella! I love the wall decal!!! I think everything looks great, but if your DH is willing to take MORE pics then by all means

Sending you lots of happy dust for your trip. You must be feeling like a kid at Christmas (anxious), a bride on her wedding day (happy), and a performer on opening night (nervous) all rolled up into one. So happy for you!!!

~LC

 

[Dreamer_D]

Bella I love the room!

Has B been in a crib to sleep up to this point? Does your crib convert? Keep an eye on the possiblity he can get out of that crib once you are home Our little monkey did around B's age.